First Dives with Uwatec's Galileo Sol

Why don't you e-mail ScubaPro's tech department. I had a Smart Tec that started to occasionally not give me a psi reading while on a month long dive trip. ScubaPro walked me through the problem and FedExed me overnight a new battery for the tank unit when I stopped in Hawaii. The Galileo and Smart Tec share the same transmitter, I now have a Galileo and keep the Smart Tec as a backup.

Oh crap I hope its not the sensor.......

Doesn't sound like it would be the battery. If the battery was too low, it would not transmit any signal. I can not imagine it would transmit an incorrect tank pressure. IMHO, either a faulty tank transmitter or a faulty dive computer.

Last year, I did have a problem with the tank transmission to my Sol. I tried 2 different tank transmitters to prove the problem was in the computer not the tank transmitter. Would only pick up the tank signal if the computer was almost touching the tank transmitter. I spent a few dives in Yap putting my hand behind my head every few minutes to get a tank pressure reading - must have looked a bit weird...

Uwatec just swapped the Sol for a new one. No hassles, just had to use an SPG for a couple of weeks. Uwatec said it was a cracked antenna inside the computer, an issue that might occur with some of the first batch they made.

Regards

Peter

Cheers guys I'll keep you all posted.

I just got one of these and I have to say I really like it. I don't normally like complicated/sophisticated dive gear, but what I like about this computer is that it is so easy to use. Plus the weight saving of not having a contents gauge.

Alex

I just got one of these and I have to say I really like it. I don't normally like complicated/sophisticated dive gear, but what I like about this computer is that it is so easy to use. Plus the weight saving of not having a contents gauge.

 

Alex

After 18 months of extensive use, I am still very happy with my Galileo Sol. Wouldn't like to dive without it. The key feature for me has been that you can see all the necessary data at one glance, without even taking your hand off the camera controls.

For example, yesterday I was videoing a large jellyfish with its attendant school of small fish. It was moving up and down through the water column, around 5 meters deep. I was at the end of a long dive, my tank pressure was quite low and I needed to stay within a depth band of 3 to 6 meters to complete my safety stop. But I wanted to video the jellyfish. With the Galileo Sol I was able to keep shooting, with both hands on the video housing, while watching remaining tank pressure, depth and time left to complete the safety stop. Not many other computers would have allowed me to do that...

Regards

Peter

After 18 months of extensive use, I am still very happy with my Galileo Sol. Wouldn't like to dive without it. The key feature for me has been that you can see all the necessary data at one glance, without even taking your hand off the camera controls.

<snip>

Regards

Peter

I've got the non-air integrated version - the Terra. I've had it since June, and 80 dives later: I LOVE it. The big display, the digital compass, combined with the fact it has REAL BUTTONS rather than the electrical contacts of the previous Uwatec's all make it a great upgrade.

Great computer, highly recommended.

Robert

I too am very please with the Galileo Sol after 18 months. During the first week of diving with it I experienced some erratic pressure readings. E-mailed ScubaPro and they sent me a new battery for the sending unit. After changing the battery the unit has worked flawlessly ever since. The push buttons are great and a big improvement from the contact terminals on the preceding Smart series. Also really like the feature where I know my buddy's PSI and of course the compass that works at any angle.

Elmer

I still haven't got my transmitter fixed yet as I've been too busy....maybe next month!

Currently I have about 300 dives on the computer over the past 15 months. My battery indicator has gone down by 1 bar in that time.

Hi!

Good news to all Uwatec Galileo users: The next release of TravelTrakCE (Windows mobile based version) is on the way. It will be available in early January and support all Galileo models.

I use my Galileo since February 2007 under various (even extreme) conditions. I love it because it is absolutely great for photographers. Especially when you switch to the large display mode. Just the really important information but in large, friendly letters.

Helge ;-)=)

Guys the battery has finally finished 326 dives or 326 hours later. I'm a bit dissappointed as I expected 500 dives at least from it. I guess it was used as the display model in the shop with everyone playing around with it as it had about 180 hours 'ontime' when I recieved it.

Otherwise I still like it and like you say its great for photographers.

Ha!

People ask me about my Galileo Sol. I tell them that I could never justify the price, but that it is the best dive computer I have ever had. Maybe the best piece of dive gear I've ever owned.

Ha!

 

People ask me about my Galileo Sol. I tell them that I could never justify the price, but that it is the best dive computer I have ever had. Maybe the best piece of dive gear I've ever owned.

"best piece of dive gear I've ever owned" - I think that you just did justify the price... :-)

For me, it is easy. Anything that helps you dive more safely, is worth the price. The Sol, with its "all important data in one place and clearly readable" design definitely makes a dive safer, especially if you are already task-loaded.

Regards

Peter

Very true peterbkk but especially for me as I regularly dive solo and the alarms are very useful for me.

I agree it is the best dive computer I have had it mixes high performance, flexibility with ease of use.

Although I wish I knew more about modifying more of the alarms. Especially when it beeps continuously if you reach tank reserve at depth. There is no way to shut it up once it starts beeping - it bleats all the way through your ascent until you reach safety stop level - which to me encourages you to ascend faster to shut it up - not necessarily a good thing. There needs to be a "Yes I know, shut up!" button.

I also had a strange problem with mine in on just one Cayman at Sunset House. I tend not to wear the heart monitor, but on one dive I started getting high heart rate warnings. I was diving with another Galileo user and he was wearing a heart monitor, but we weren't that close together (and his heart rate was low). On the same dive it also lost the Tank Pressure signal a couple of times, which was strange. The submarine was close by and I was wondering if the interference was coming from that (although I have seen the sub many times with the Galileo and not had the problem). I was also shooting with Inons, rather than Subtronics which I have used for most of my dives with the computer - although I have never had any problems on my other dives with Inons.

After the dives I gave it a long soak in fresh water (the only thing I could think of doing) and it has performed faultlessly from then on.

It wasn't a big issue and I shot this image on that dive:

Alex

I did a cave dive with the heart-rate monitor in the pocket of my BC (by accident). It seemed to give fairly sensible readings. I checked this with Sergio Angelini at Uwatec (now gone) and he told me that if you don't wear the monitor the Galileo will pick up background radio signals and not display the correct info - so always wear it!

A typical e-mail exchange with Sergio:

I am sure the first thing you did was to turn it on, wear the polar

belt, and make sure you still had a heart!

sergio

-----Original Message-----

From: John Bantin [mailto:bantin@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sent: Donnerstag, 1. Mai 2008 12:10

To: Angelini, Sergio; Shears, Andy

Subject: Thank you!

Gentlemen.

Today I received what appears to be a brand new shiny Galileo Sol.

I will make sure it appears in lots of pictures!

Thanks very much.

I'd be lost without it.

John Bantin

I did a cave dive with the heart-rate monitor in the pocket of my BC (by accident). It seemed to give fairly sensible readings. I checked this with Sergio Angelini at Uwatec (now gone) and he told me that if you don't wear the monitor the Galileo will pick up background radio signals and not display the correct info - so always wear it!

I nearly always wear the monitor. You get used to all the strange looks from others on the dive deck...

And, as I mentioned somewhere earlier in the thread, it gives you a useful indicator in the dive log of when the exciting bits of the dive happened. A strong current, bunch of sharks, etc, will put the heart rate up a bit.

Did you mean that Sergio has left Uwatec? That's a shame. He was a very approachable CEO, answered every email and became personally involved in helping clients. Where did he go?

Regards

Peter

Did you mean that Sergio has left Uwatec? That's a shame. He was a very approachable CEO, answered every email and became personally involved in helping clients. Where did he go?

 

Regards

Peter

I'm not sure. Maybe Eumis

<snip>

I was also shooting with Inons, rather than Subtronics which I have used for most of my dives with the computer - although I have never had any problems on my other dives with Inons.

 

After the dives I gave it a long soak in fresh water (the only thing I could think of doing) and it has performed faultlessly from then on.

,snip.

 

Alex

I am still using the old tank connected consol and loose “hockey puck” computers. The last time I visited the wireless computers (long ago) there was a short info. interrupt problem with ikelite strobes and some of this type of computers. I take it that there are no such problems with the G Sol and Inon 240’s???

R/Bob

Don't want to discourage you but I found that the "maps" feature of my Sol to be the least useful and stopped using it. Firstly the resolution means that you are limited to very large thick lines and large shapes. Anything fine, small or complex gets lost in the resolution. I tried doing a simple map of one of the wreck sites that I dive often. I drew it in a simple drawing package and uploaded to the Sol. I tried several versions. If I made it big and simple, it was not useful underwater. If I made it detailed and complex, the detail was lost in the resolution.

 

On the other hand, I have found the ability to load text messages very useful. I have programmed about 15 simple messages, a few related to diving (e.g. let's turn around and go back) but most related to video shooting with a model.

 

Some examples are:

 

"Stop, wait here 15 seconds, then follow me",

"Swim over my head",

"Look at this thing that I am pointing at",

"Please don't smile or wave at the camera".

 

I use these to give instructions to people who volunteer to model for my underwater videos. Works well. Just scroll to the message and show it to them. Beats waving your arms around like a crazy man...

 

But, please let us know if you do have a successful experience with drawing maps for the Sol.

 

Regards

Peter

Do you now the resolution of the screen?

Regards,

Hans

400 dives now on the computer. I changed the battery in the transmitter but it still won't show more than 100 bar on a full tank so I guess the transducer is outa span.

I have noticed the padding on the underside of the computer has begun to wear away down to the plastic. This is quite a surprise as I only wear a rash guard whish I didn't think was too abrasive.

As for the heart monitor I quit using that after 20 dives or so, I really couldn't see the point of its use although it was interesting to note that my heart rate fell consistantly throughout the dives usually starting around 84 bpm and decreasing to 74 after about an hour. My resting rate is about 62 - 65 bpm.